Newsom Signs 13-Bill Election Package

Gov. Gavin Newsom signed 13 bills Saturday making it a felony to seize ballots, election records, or certified voting technology before election results are certified, or for an authority figure to direct interference with the delivery or return of a mail ballot.

He signed them in Los Angeles weeks before the November midterms, casting them as a shield against election interference, including interference with vote-by-mail.

“We have no bigger task than fighting to protect the right to vote,” Newsom said. The package includes expanded language access, rules targeting deceptive election communications and new requirements for law enforcement seeking election records or equipment.

The legislation also comes after Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco seized more than 650,000 ballots under warrants while investigating fraud claims. The county registrar said the claims were based on a misreading of preliminary vote-count data, and the state Supreme Court is weighing whether Bianco’s seizure was lawful.

AI Giants Accused of Collusion

A lawsuit filed Friday in federal court in Northern California accuses Anthropic, OpenAI, SpaceXAI, and Google of illegally agreeing to slow the pace of their AI development.

Four paid subscribers, seeking to represent a nationwide class, argue the companies violated antitrust law and shortchanged customers of ChatGPT, Claude, Grok, and Gemini. The suit points to Sept. 12, when Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei urged the industry to cooperate on slowing advances for safety, and rival chiefs Sam Altman, Elon Musk, and Demis Hassabis publicly expressed agreement with his proposal.

The plaintiffs say they don’t oppose any single company slowing for safety, only rivals swapping “collective restraint for individual accountability.” The four companies did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Amodei had acknowledged antitrust concerns and floated a government waiver for certain safety talks. President Trump dismissed AI fears as a “hoax” and described efforts to limit the technology as a “conspiracy,” while Sen. Josh Hawley, a Republican from Missouri, rejected an antitrust exemption for the firms.

Heirs Sue over Nazi-Looted Art

Jewish heirs and their representatives filed two lawsuits last week seeking Holocaust-era artworks held by the Norton Simon Museum in Pasadena and the Auschwitz Memorial.

They are the first suits filed after new state and federal laws strengthened U.S.-based claims to art forcibly taken from Jewish families during World War II. One seeks Lucas Cranach’s 1530 Adam and Eve. The other, filed by a survivor’s daughters, seeks watercolors she was forced to paint for Nazi doctor Josef Mengele.

The California law, Assembly Bill 2867 by Assemblyman Jesse Gabriel, requires California law to apply in such suits. A federal law permanently eliminated an expiration date for pursuing Holocaust-era art claims. A federation leader said most net proceeds from recovered art would help about 2,500 Holocaust survivors in the Los Angeles area.

Both museums say they hold legal title and will keep displaying the works. The Norton Simon noted a federal court in 2018 upheld its title, and the Auschwitz Memorial said the watercolors document Mengele’s crimes and “must remain.”

Flying together with our sponsor

➤ Bay Area: Thirty-five more women say they were defrauded by a man who posed as a San Francisco 49ers player, bringing the number of alleged victims to more than 60. Daejon Love and Taylor Chan face wire fraud charges in a $1.3 million case. (See Details)

➤ Redding: Cal Fire says added law enforcement staffing is helping investigators pursue more human-caused fires, with the Shasta-Trinity Unit reporting 22 arson arrests so far this year, up from 10 in 2025. (See Details)

➤ Siskiyou County: Deer are already using a new wildlife crossing over U.S. 97 near Grass Lake, where more than 50 deer and 16 elk were killed from 2015 to 2020. The project includes an overcrossing and under-highway culvert to reduce wildlife collisions. (See Details)

➤ Humboldt County: A human bone found on Centerville Beach was identified as belonging to Jonathan Raxa, a fisherman and father of three who disappeared when his boat sank near Humboldt Bay in 1999. DNA testing closed the nearly 27-year-old missing-person case. (See Details)

➤ Yosemite: The Dome Fire grew to 2,391 acres and was 15% contained Saturday, with nearly 500 firefighters battling steep terrain and heavy smoke. Several trails remain closed. (More)

➤ Manteca: Mayor Gary Singh and a local chiropractor face misdemeanor election charges after a video offered voters $50 off chiropractic services for supporting Singh. Singh shared the video before deleting it and apologizing, and said he will address the charges through the legal process. (More)

➤ San Luis Obispo County: Jurors began deliberating Friday in the election fraud trial of Gaea Powell, who is accused of lying about where she lived while running for Arroyo Grande mayor. Representing herself, Powell argued prosecutors failed to prove she intentionally broke the law. (More)

➤ Santa Barbara County: Bob Smith, a Navy retiree challenging Rep. Salud Carbajal, D, in the 24th District, dropped his Republican registration Friday and registered No Party Preference. Smith will still appear as a Republican on the November ballot. (More)

➤ Mead Valley: The 30-acre Gustin Fire southwest of Perris was 90% contained as of Saturday evening after injuring two people, one critically. The blaze began when a vehicle fire spread to nearby vegetation. (See Details)

➤ Los Angeles County: Superior Court employees with at least five years of service are being offered $35,000 to voluntarily resign as the court looks to cut costs amid a budget shortfall. Officials warned the staffing reductions could mean longer waits and slower court services. (See Details)

➤ Burbank: A man was arrested on suspicion of misdemeanor battery after allegedly pepper-spraying a moviegoer who was using a cellphone during a movie at the AMC 16 theater. Two other patrons reported irritation from the spray and were treated at a hospital. (See Details)

➤ Los Angeles: Lyle and Erik Menendez are tentatively scheduled for new parole hearings Feb. 23 and 24, 2027, more than a year earlier than previously expected. Both were denied parole at their first hearings last year. (See Details)

➤ Malibu: Officials are warning of hazardous beach conditions, especially at Point Dume, where severe erosion has exposed pilings, concrete and steel in the sand and water. The beach remains open, but visitors are urged to use caution and follow posted closures. (See Details)

Enjoy reading The California Flyover? Click here to share with your friends and family.

➤ The San Francisco 49ers improved to 2-0 with a 35-13 win over the Miami Dolphins on Sunday, scoring touchdowns on their first five drives. Brock Purdy threw for 287 yards and two touchdowns, while Christian McCaffrey scored twice to reach 100 career touchdowns. (More)

➤ The Los Angeles Chargers fell to 0-2 with a 26-14 loss to the Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday, snapping their four-game winning streak in the rivalry. Justin Herbert threw for 192 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions, while a late Chargers fumble helped Las Vegas pull away. (More)

➤ USC football stayed at No. 12 in the latest AP Top 25 after improving to 4-0. The Trojans remain California’s only ranked team. (More)

➤ The Los Angeles Rams host the New York Giants tonight at SoFi Stadium, looking to rebound from a Week 1 loss to San Francisco. Los Angeles will be without Myles Garrett, while Aaron Donald could make his return after coming out of retirement. (More)

➤ Yesterday’s Results: NFL | MLB | NHL | WNBA | Golf | Soccer

Flying together with our sponsor

➤ Why landscape contractors, retirees, and first-time homeowners are walking past every rubber and expandable hose at the hardware store and putting one of these on the spigot instead. Garden Maestro’s Elite Garden Hose is built from steel! The same 304 grade steel used in industrial piping. Won’t kink, won’t tear, won’t quit. Learn More

Flyover Focus takes a deeper look at the topics that matter. Click the link to watch this week’s full episode.

➤ Your grocery bill, your mortgage, and your retirement check all move with the cost of living. So what’s actually behind that number? (Tune in here)

In the latest episode of Flyover Focus, we get into how the cost of living is measured, why the official figure doesn’t always match what you see at the register, and whether the yearly raise to Social Security checks actually keeps anyone afloat. We also look at who’s feeling the squeeze hardest, and whether there’s any relief in sight. (Watch Now)

In case you missed it, last week on Flyover Focus, we broke down artificial intelligence, tune in here.

➤ California added 39,400 jobs in August, accounting for more than 24% of U.S. job growth that month, while the state’s unemployment rate held at 5.1%. The number of unemployed Californians fell by 14,000, marking the ninth straight monthly decline. (See Details)

➤ California auto insurers could no longer price policies based on marital status under a proposal from Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara, who wants the 30-year-old practice gone by next July. Single, divorced, and widowed drivers could see lower rates. (See Details)

➤ Assembly Bill 2319 creates California’s first tax credit just for post-production work, covering 35% to 50% of qualified expenses for editing, sound, music, and visual effects. Gov. Gavin Newsom signed it Friday, and the $10 million program starts Jan. 1. (More)

➤ Hollywood Burbank Airport ran 1,500 volunteer passengers through a mock flight Saturday, testing its new 14-gate terminal before the Oct. 13 opening. It replaces a 96-year-old terminal that sits too close to the runways to meet FAA standards. (See Details)

Flying together with our sponsor

➤ Home Safety Alert: It Kills While Families Sleep. Protect yours with Vital Carbon Detector. It tracks carbon monoxide, natural gas, and propane in a single device. Learn More

Flying together with our sponsor

We’ve Been Endorsing LMNT the Wrong Way

Instead of simply telling you we like LMNT, here’s the better endorsement: we actually use it. Packets end up in our gym bags, desks, cars, and suitcases. Everyone has a favorite flavor, and the best ones have a habit of disappearing first.

It has become one of those simple products we keep around because we regularly reach for it. Fair warning, though: once ordinary water starts tasting boring, don’t blame us.

Order LMNT today and get a free sample pack with your purchase. It’s an easy way to try more flavors and find your favorite.

➤ Volunteers hauled at least 96 tons of trash and recyclables from California beaches, shorelines, and inland waterways during Saturday’s 42nd annual Coastal Cleanup Day, with only 40% of sites reporting. More than 50,000 people participated at over 750 sites across all 58 counties. (More)

➤ Burney Falls made a World Atlas list of the state parks with the longest entrance lines in America, alongside Lake Tahoe’s Sand Harbor. The 129-foot falls in Shasta County draw crowds off Highway 89, but mid-September thins them. Arrive before 9 a.m. (See List)

➤ Long before live streaming, Santa Barbara crowds packed State Street and De la Guerra Plaza in September 1926 to follow the Dempsey-Tunney heavyweight title fight from Philadelphia, called blow by blow from a newspaper balcony. Fans could even phone in for updates. (Read Story)

➤ Fall has arrived on the Central Coast, and a local roundup highlights ways to enjoy it: pumpkins and hayrides at Avila Valley Barn and Brookshire Farms in San Luis Obispo, German food and dancing at SLO Oktoberfest, and vendors and entertainment at the Atascadero Fall Festival. (See List)

Flying together with our sponsor

➤ Why Do Bruises Suddenly Show Up After 50? You don’t remember bumping into anything—yet another bruise appears. While many people chalk it up to aging or medication, easy bruising may be a clue worth paying attention to. It’s one of 7 commonly overlooked warning signs that can become more noticeable with age. See all 7 warning signs—and what they could be telling you.

The following stories are featured exclusively on The Flyover Podcast—a daily show that gives you the most important headlines in under 15 minutes. 

➤ The drug-pricing deals the White House celebrated turned out to have terms nobody was supposed to see. (Hear Terms)

➤ President Trump says he is close to a decision on Iran and named the three paths on the table. (Hear Options)

➤  A homeschooled firefighter in Nebraska applied for a paid job and was told his diploma did not count. He has 30 days to sue. (Hear Story)

If your employer offered you a cash buyout to resign, what would you do?

1. Take the money and go
2. Depends on the amount
3. No thanks, I’d stay put
4. Already retired
5. Other (reply to tell us)

Yesterday’s Results:

Which of today’s California animal stories caught your attention most?

1. All of them: 31%
2. The inland humpback whale: 19%
3. The venomous sea snake: 18%
4. The 648-pound blue marlin: 13%
5. The Bay Area mountain lion: 11% 
6. The wandering bear: 8%

Since 1963, visitors have beaten the Coachella Valley heat by riding the world’s largest rotating tram car from the desert floor to more than 8,500 feet up Mount San Jacinto. What is this attraction called?

Show me the answer